Roundabout accident, who's fault ?

zlinman

Hi all, thanks for your input.


I looked at at google street maps. Firstly there are no markings or arrows on the road of the inside roundabout lane I was in telling me I should have taken the exit where the accident occurred, but ok it looks like maybe I would have been better in the outside lane for taking the next exit I was actually looking for, but I have to say in my defence that by the time the other driver had overtaken me from behind on my drivers side on the outside lane of the roundabout, surely he would have seen that his exit was partly blocked by my car. He was going rather fast as my passengers also noticed. So either he wasn't paying attention to where I was in relation to his exit, or he was in a hurry and he decided to chance it by cutting across the front of me to make a dash for his exit. Thanks for your comments. Time to move on.

boliston

most roundabout accidents of this type would go 50/50 as there is a duty to look out for other traffic on both sides to check you are not about to collide with them - when exiting a roundabout from anywhere but the left lane i would certainly check for any vehicles on my left who might NOT be exiting the roundabout as a lot of people ignore road lane marking arrows

debtdebt

zlinman wrote: »

but I have to say in my defence that by the time the other driver had overtaken me from behind on my drivers side on the outside lane of the roundabout, surely he would have seen that his exit was partly blocked by my car. He was going rather fast as my passengers also noticed.

Yep people overtake from behind.
Yep people overtake on the driver's side otherwise they would be undertaking.
Yep people overtake on the outside lane.

The other driver has done nothing wrong. Sounds like you were dawdling in the wrong lane as you didn't know where you were going.

zlinman

boliston wrote: »

most roundabout accidents of this type would go 50/50 as there is a duty to look out for other traffic on both sides to check you are not about to collide with them - when exiting a roundabout from anywhere but the left lane i would certainly check for any vehicles on my left who might NOT be exiting the roundabout as a lot of people ignore road lane marking arrows

Boliston. Your reply makes sense, and sums up the situation. Regardless of who is at fault, or which lane I should have been in, .... yes I was blocking the other driver's exit off the roundabout as he came alongside me on my drivers side. There was no lane marking or arrows on the road indicating I should take that exit. Even if I was in the wrong lane the other driver should have seen that I was blocking his exit, I also had my right hand indicator on to warn him so he should have known it was obvious I wasn't going to take the same exit he wanted, but I was heading for the next exit.

gpc273

OP, you should learn how to read the signage on approach, if your not certain ask your passengers, then you should get a lesson on how to enter and signal correctly on roundabouts.
Driving is by far the most dangerous activity the vast majority of people will ever undertake and they have no real clue.

Richard53

boliston wrote: »

when exiting a roundabout from anywhere but the left lane i would certainly check for any vehicles on my left who might NOT be exiting the roundabout

I would be checking when in the left lane too. A motorcycle, scooter or, in slow traffic, a bicycle could easily be trying to exit between you and the edge of the road. They would be foolish and wrong to try, but a mirror check by you might avoid a messy interlude.

Ganga

prowla wrote: »

Were there road marking and maybe two lanes into the exit?


I've had something happen twice in the past week where there are 3 lanes on the entry to the roundabout: the left lane is marked left turn and the 2nd one is marked left + straight; I've been in the middle land to take the 2nd exit and people have gone into the left one and gone straight across in front of me.


https://www.google.com/maps/@51.4918369,-0.540818,3a,75y,261.75h,71.07t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sDhqlIpozLOgi1-b-9tUWSA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656


As far as the OP goes, they were in the wrong for performing a manoevure without checking it was safe to do so - indicating does not give you the right to swap lanes in front of someone.


As for the other driver, it's difficult to say - in a circumstance like mine above, they would have been entirely in the right.


So, at best I would say it's a 50/50.

The person who posted did not change lanes,they indicated to say that they were not exiting at the first exit.

pinkshoes

If there were no lane markings on the roundabout, then left hand lane for second exit (straight on) when there are two lanes is fine.

I would say other driver is 100% at fault. He has changed lane without due care and attention.

Marvel1

Whenever I'm unfamilar with a roundabout I stay in the right hand lane, if my exit is first then I just go all

Also I have take wrong exit, no problems just find a safe place to turn around.

zlinman

debtdebt wrote: »

Yep people overtake from behind.
Yep people overtake on the driver's side otherwise they would be undertaking.
Yep people overtake on the outside lane.

The other driver has done nothing wrong. Sounds like you were dawdling in the wrong lane as you didn't know where you were going.

If you took the time to read my first post properly then 'yep' you would see that technically the left hand lane was the correct lane to take for both the first exit and 'yep' also the second to cross over the roundabout.